'Burning of Bridges' Not Spoken Here

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"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.""The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire.."   ... Titus 3:9, James 3:6

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Sunday afternoon I sat here at my computer when Tom stepped in and said, "Someone's knocking at the door. Can you get it? I'd rather not," (being in his most-casual-of-clothes, shall we say).

So I groaned, got up and upon opening the red door, saw that Mormons stood on our porch. Before unlatching the glass storm door, I whispered, "Thomas, you're gonna owe me big time."  ツ

But, hey, all was well. The 3 young men looked like Mormon poster boys: dressed-up, clean-shaven, 20-ish and adorable. The type to which you'd say, "Could you watch my purse for me, please?" in an emergency.

The chosen speaker said, "Hello Ma'am! And let me say first that I really like your blouse. Purple is my favorite color." (His two friends shifted a bit nervously, like the guy had gone off-script.) 

But I didn't mind. I smiled and said, "Thank-you." 

He got back on script and eventually said, "I'm not sure how much you know about Jesus....", to which I replied, "Oh! He's everything to me. I couldn't get by a day without Him." Then quickly added, "And I'm not just saying that so you'll leave, either." They all chuckled and seemed glad (and surprised) at my original statement.

"That's great!", he said. A couple sentences later he asked, "Is there anything you'd like to know about the Mormon faith?" and I said, "Uhm, no, that's ok. Actually we learned a lot from your wonderful Mormon movies around 10 years ago. We watched at least 5 and enjoyed them so much!"

He asked if I could recall any of the titles, but of course I couldn't (put me on the spot like that and are you kidding?). I just stated that each film made us laugh and we'd shared them with friends. All 3 guys seemed happy and curious as to which movies we'd viewed.

Then he handed me a card with their website where I could look up the films, find more information and by the end of our conversation? All felt well, positive and good on our pretty Sunday afternoon.

And after closing the door I didn't even nag Tom too much about having me open the door to Mormons. Just a tad. heh.

But mostly? I felt thankful that I hadn't 'burned any bridges.' Not at any time had I told those cute young men, "Boy, do you and I have some different beliefs! Don't get me started."

No. Instead, I concentrated upon our commonalities. We laughed together and parted--if not friends--then respecters of one another as people who see some things differently, other things the same. 

And that is how I'm choosing to live my life.

Yes, especially online and at Facebook. Hopefully nowhere will you ever see me write--


"That ____ (person in a political party) is an idiot. All of her/his followers are deceived morons."

"All mega churches and tv evangelists are getting it wrong."

"I can't stand those actors' politics and heck, they can't even act, anyway."


Go ahead and phrase things that way if you wish (I've spied each at Facebook), but please remember we potentially burn a bridge to further possibilities of understanding, compassion and maybe even bringing others to Jesus if we do.

If good ol' Debra unfollows you (for a time) when you speak this way, I know others do, as well (maybe forever, instead, out of unnecessary offense).

I just can't allow those flames inside my mind/heart, ones which venture near bridges I want to keep outstretched. Strong bridges, that's what I long for, ones reaching to people who sometimes wander back over them to me saying, "Debra, there's something different about you. I thought at first I didn't like it, but now I think I do. What is it?"

That actually happens to me. It does. And may I do all I can to never burn a bridge I could've kept standing bright, tall and welcoming.

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."   ... Titus 2:7,8

"Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."   ... James 3:18

Someone isn't believing the important stuff from the Bible? Praying, with love, that God will soften and enlighten their hearts, works wonders.


*****

I wrote years ago about the cute Mormon movies we watched. Go here. And perhaps our favorite was The R.M. --

Oh wow. Here's a bit about it--


The R.M. is fun! When the R.M. (which I am assuming means Returning Missionary) returns home after his two-year mission in Wyoming, he finds nothing as he'd envisioned. His parents gave away his bedroom so he must stay in the laundry room (if I recall correctly). And oh my, the scene showing him as a tele-marketer for the 'Filthy Filter" (like the TV Guardian), had me laughing to tears. And like The Home Teachers, this movie also ended with a fine moral lesson without being preachy.


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Oh my goodness! Naomi gave us some of these Buffalo Wing Almonds and they make the best snack, ever--

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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

Where She Created Her Own Fun

So Tom's assignment at work was to be mostly-in-charge of their special 3rd of July lunch last Wednesday. This required days of list-making, shopping, errands, setting-up and --

Whew. Late Wednesday afternoon, I had to almost pull him up our 3 little steps. (Already he's worded his reply of decline should he be asked again. Er hem.)

So good ol' Debra spent four days of a 4th of July weekend at home with Tom. 

Or did I?

Actually, I not only traveled to New Orleans, but I did so via 1955. In fact, I'm not even officially home yet(!)

See, over at Open Library I'm reading this fun travel book by a favorite author, Emily Kimbrough--

-- and she may believe 5 friends surround her, but it's actually 6. I'm the quiet one in the corner of their hotel rooms and in the station wagon's backseat. And I'm the lady giggling at their exchanges, sometimes nagging ones, ("Emily, why on earth didn't you say so in the first place?"), but more often comical.

So when they walked to Court of The Two Sisters, so did I. You know, by way of 'images' online--

Oh, the food! And because we had a group photo taken, we lingered over coffee while they developed (Emily paid for these).

Soon after, a New Orleans' friend loaned us her chauffeur who knew all about this city and proceeded to drive us slowly down the wide Esplanade. Oh, all the photos we snapped!

Two days later we drove away from the city then, arriving just before they closed, took the Oak Alley Plantation tour due to their kindness:

Be sure to enlarge this!

And then we--- Well, you get it. 

These days at home but-not-at-home? They reminded me of what I posted at Facebook:

I believe (firmly) we make our own good times and need only a creative spirit and gumption. And my goal? To make these my Good Old Days. To gaze backward only long enough for vintage ideas to incorporate into my current days, my own way.

Like, did you know Aldi now delivers?! At least some of them do and oh, what a blast from the past to have young folks deliver fresh food right to my front porch within an hour (or so) just like in my old-fashioned books and those black-and-white movies.

Each time I wave to the Aldi guys as they near their car and shout, "Thank-you!" and they smile and wave back (looking a tad relieved that I'm not complaining).  シ

Tom and I had a milkman out at the farm, our shelf-stable food gets delivered via online orders and now Aldi brings me milk, eggs, nectarines and oh, anything else like that. 

Don't you love that God shows us how to customize this life He's gifted us?  How He's incredibly creative and gives us wonderful ideas when we ask? 

And wow, all He asks in return is that we share our gratitude with Him and others. We can all do that, right?

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."  ...Psalm 136:1

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." ... James 1:17

If we ran out of lovely ideas perhaps it's because we stopped searching far too soon.


Oh! And when our weather finally cooled, I spent hours and hours on our front porch reading, waving to neighbors and gazing at the river and its boats while enjoying the cool breeze. 


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Forgot to mention last month that Tom and I watched Mary Poppins Returns and really enjoyed the rampant creativity!

Update: This movie is now at Netflix! So there you go.  ツ





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"For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." ... Matthew 6:14,15

Loving My Life In 2019? Yes.

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" .... "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]."   ... Psalm 16:11, John 10:10


*****


Man, say what you will, but I love this life Jesus died to give me. 

Love. It. 

And hey, I'm not even pining away for Heaven(gasp!). I mean, I totally realize Earth-life is just a teeny peek at the Heavenly one, but oh Honey, this godly presence shakes joy over me like confetti. Mornings I bound out of bed feeling all anticipatory for more adventures with God.

More joy.
More learning.
More godly delight in the ordinary.

Like last week. This springtime I beat the birds in gathering my garden strawberries and took a tall plastic glass of them over to Neighbor Sally, then later, another glass to Sue. Both love strawberries, as do I, but my face (shall we say) only lets me eat very few. Er hem.

And I encouraged Amy at the coffee shop about a wild cake she'd been asked to bake, one of an old work-building soon-to-be demolished, complete with 2 porta-potties. Another regular, Jodi, made certain I also saw this unusual cake the week before and we marveled at Amy's intricate details created from a photo. (Men requested this cake and Amy said they especially loved the porta-potties. Of course.)  ツ

That master chore list God nudged me to make? Changed my life. I even sleep better now because gone are the dark-night nagging thoughts like, "Sheesh, you forgot to do _____  again," and "Your neglect of the  ____ is just sad!"

Whew. How remarkable that a small change can help me feel in-control while living in an out-of-control world.

I carried two bags of cast-off stuff down to the Salvation Army discard bin, further decluttering my life. Sat out on our front porch reading favorite books in sun-dappled shade, felt Jesus in the chair beside me. Shared favorite quotes, humor and my Prayer Garden photo at Facebook, encouraged a woman there who faced surgery and fun-chatted with a friend on Messenger.

Oh, what a remarkable life when God directs our steps, right?


"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart..."  ... Ecclesiastes 3:11


See? Previews of Heaven. It's biblical.

And color me too busy to use social media to complain about how Christians (and others) are getting things all wrong. No, I've got work to do! A job which God sent me here to complete so that His world will spin in a way it couldn't without me.

And so do you.

        (Thanks, Myrna, for sharing this at Facebook.It blessed my socks off.)



"The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring."   ... Isaiah 58:11  (Yes, while on this earthly journey. Yes, even in 2019. God is that huge!)

Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.

Alexander MacLaren

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Speaking of Facebook ... I didn't even know till 2 weeks ago that via Messenger you can call your Facebook friends for free(!) 

An old friend's son called me for some advice via Messenger, so that's how I discovered it (I'm not a just-shoot-the-breeze phone person at all, but to pray with someone over the air waves? Yeah, I'll do that.)

Anyway, in case you also didn't know about this service, well, there you go. Took un-techno-minded me a few minutes to figure it out on the Messenger page, but I eventually did. 

(But my oh my--nobody better ever contact me via the video chat option! You'll hear just ring after ring forever cuz I often sit here without my make-up--and that ain't pretty. heh.)   シ


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The World Has Need of You

If it's ever so small the part you take,
The world has need of you.
Be it big or little the effort you make,
The world has need of you.
If it's only a thought you give by the way,
If it's only love's word you pause to say,
It's a part that nobody else can play,
So the world has need of you.

By your smile you can change another's life;
By a word you can bring peace out of strife;
Then lift your head and never say die;
Count every blessing, stop every sigh,
Get busy ... don't let a chance slip by,
For the world has need of you.



----Evelyn Whitell




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"Master," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said, "for whoever is not against you is for you." ... Luke 9:49,50